Intro to Themes in Western Art (or How to Get the Guy in 5 Days)
by cloverhand
Summary: College AU: The first time they meet, Renly cannot stand Loras Tyrell. By the fifth time they meet, Renly has realized 1) he is Loras's RA, 2) Loras isn't actually that bad, and 3) he is actually very interested in dating Loras.


Loras/Renly college au. written for a href="_ .com_"Shona/a. Sansa's friend is Jeyne Poole, btw, and Robb and Theon are mostly dating.

disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They're George R.R. Martin's creations, and probably owned by him or HBO and definitely not me.

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day one

Renly's first thought when he saw Loras Tyrell across the lecture hall was that it was a damn shame that the other man hadn't been born a few centuries earlier, because he was kind of beautiful in the way that sculptures of Greek gods were. He was sitting in Intro to Themes in Western Art, the basic gateway course to the Art History department, and it was a huge class for a college this small, the kind that boasted that 95% of classes sat less than 30. The professor, Pycelle, was a creep, slow voice and quick eyes, and Renly saw him check out at least six girls before the first class was over. It was just the first day of class, but before Pycelle could even finish opening discussion with _what do you like about art?_, Renly had decided that he was probably even more of a joke than the class would be.

Nobody answered, all shifting awkwardly in their seats and hoping to avoid Pycelle's gaze, so Renly spoke up. He was only taking the class to take one with Brienne, who was trying to decide between a minor in Art History or Gender Studies to go along with her Medieval History major, so Renly didn't really give a shit about the class. He shrugged and called out, "I think Picasso's pretty cool."

Across the hall, the hot blonde smirks and leans toward the redhead at his side, saying audibly, "The only people who say Picasso's their favorite artist are people who don't know of any other artists. What a joke."

The redhead dared a look at her friend, tight lipped, and shrunk in on herself when everyone looked their way. The blonde seemed to soak up the attention, sprawling out in his chair with a lazy grin.

"What an ass," Renly muttered to Brienne, who gave a noncommittal grunt and refused to engage. There was no way the ass in question heard him, but for the rest of the class he watched Renly with the same self-satisfied smirk, and Renly aggressively reminded himself that punching other students repeatedly in the face was the kind of thing that got RAs fired .

day two

It was a small campus, but all the same, Renly wasn't expecting to see that dick from Art History until class on Wednesday. But there he was, in the third floor lounge of Renly's dorm, with that same pretty redhead and a plain girl with dark hair and big eyes. Renly stopped in the doorway where he saw them, clutching his laptop under an arm. He narrowed his eyes, because, really, if they're his residents, he ought to recognize them by now. It's been more than a week since they arrived on campus. "Do you live here?"

It's the girl Renly didn't recognize from class that answered. "Oh, Sansa and I don't," she gestured between herself and the other girl. "We live in Guston. But Loras lives here."

"Are you one of my residents?" Renly asked, hoping that he wasn't.

"Nah," he drawled, and he didn't seem as surprised as Renly felt to see they lived in the same building. Which made sense, as he had 130 residents to get to know, while this first year, Loras, only had to learn the faces of the building's five RAs. "I'm on the second floor," Loras said. "I'm one of Asha's residents."

"Hmm," Renly nodded, readjusting his laptop under his arm and backing out of the room. He'd made it his plan to study as much as he could in the dorm's public spaces, to make himself available to his residents and all that, but he really wasn't interested in bursting into their space. Hopefully that kid with the bad haircut, Podrick maybe, hadn't been making fish flavored ramen in the kitchen again, and he could work at the table in there.

"Hey, Renly, right?" Loras called, and Renly froze in the doorway. Despite himself, he found himself liking the way Loras said his name, like he let it curl around his mouth before slipping it out. "Listen, man, sorry about that thing in Art History. It was a dick move."

"It's cool," Renly said. "No worries." Truthfully, he had still been a little pissed, mostly because he excelled like no other at holding grudges, but it wasn't really worth it. He was sure he could find someone to be pissed at tomorrow. Theon would almost definitely do something to deserve it in the near future.

"Really," Loras said. "I am."

"Okay," Renly nodded. He was more irritated than actually angry, anyways, and that was fading fast. Sure, Loras was a little abrasive, but it an almost endearing way.

And holy fuck, was he hot.

day three

"So," Renly said, walking into the dining hall with Brienne after art history. "That ass, you know, the hot blonde one?"

"The one you thought you were stealthily sneaking looks at?" Brienne said in her usual humor, so dry you could blink and miss it.

"I wasn't stealthy?" Renly asked, genuinely put out.

"Not in the slightest."

"Do you think he noticed?"

"Almost definitely."

"Fuck."

"Yeah," Brienne smirked, looking down to hide her smile as they reached their usual table in the dining hall. "I'm sure you'd like to."

"Like to what?" Theon, curious as ever, looked up from Robb as Renly and Brienne dropped their bags.

"I'd like to get food," Renly cut it before Brienne could mention their conversation to Robb and Theon.

With a bland smile at the other two, Brienne walked off to get a plate, Renly right behind her. Renly, as always, made a beeline for the tater tots before anything else. As soon as he got a plateful, someone crashed into him from the side, almost knocking him over.

"Whoa there," his assailant said, settling a hand on Renly's shoulder and hip, and of course it was Loras. "Wouldn't want to spill your tots."

"Wouldn't want that," Renly agreed tersely.

"Sorry about that, man," Loras smiled, hands still lingering on Renly. "Wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's fine," Renly smiled. "Really."

"Well," Loras smiled, "see you in class." He walked off, hand trailing along Renly's shoulder for just a second, before he turned back to give Renly a quick wink.

When Renly made it back to the table, a minute later and a second plate of healthier food later, Brienne was already sitting down, and she, Robb, and Theon turned to look at him as one when he plopped in his chair.

"So," Theon began, and Renly was already dreading what was going to come out of his mouth. "What's this about a hot blonde?"

"What?" Renly asked, in an obviously fake attempt at disbelief.

"Yeah," Theon smirked, stealing one of Robb's fries. "That's what we were wondering."

"C'mon, Renly, surely you haven't forgotten him already?" Brienne teased. "The one you bumped into just a minute ago? He was touching your shoulder for an awfully long time, remember?"

"Wait," Robb grinned. "Touching your shoulder like this?" He dropped a hand down on Theon's shoulder and clasped it. "Or like this?" Robb grinned, before repeating the exact same motion.

"Robb, you just did the same thing twice."

"Absolutely not," Robb argued. "It was friendly the first time, but the second time I was definitely coming on to Theon."

"You're always coming on to Theon," Brienne pointed out, and Robb shrugged, accepting her point.

"Besides," Renly continued as if he'd never stopped, "he wasn't 'coming on' to me, anyways. He nearly knocked me over, that's all."

"That's what all the kids are doing these days," Theon grinned. "It's a sign of affection, I'm sure."

"I'm sure," Robb agreed drily, and Theon knocked into him so hard Robb fell out of his chair. "Uncalled for!"

"And, even if he was," Renly snapped, trying desperately to control the conversation, "it wouldn't matter, because he's one of my residents!"

"On your hall?" Brienne asked, as if she already knew the answer.

"Asha's hall."

Theon laughed, like he always did when anyone mentioned his sister had been hired as a First Year RA. Renly couldn't blame him. Asha was a shit RA; she was terrifying and unsympathetic, and only enforced the rules that suited her. She was incredibly good in a crisis, but, for the day to day things, the only person Renly could imagine being a worse RA than Asha would be Theon. Theon would probably set the dorm on fire, just for the hell of it.

"And that's irrelevant, because I'm not even interested!"

"That's exactly the impression I got, watching you stare at him all class long," Brienne said. She picked at her salad when Renly turned to glare at her.

"I need new friends," he muttered under his breath.

day four

"Hey, Renly," Loras appeared in the doorway of the third floor kitchen, where Renly sat. Renly didn't hear him, headphones in and head bobbing absently, scanning his brick of an art history textbook.

"Renly?" Loras tried again, drawing up to the table Renly sat at.

"Hmm?" Renly looked up, tugging a headphone out of his ear. His eyes widened when he saw Loras standing before him, though he wasn't actually all that surprised. It seemed like the other student was everywhere. "Oh, um, hey there."

"I was wondering if you wanted to study together," Loras smiled, and it was a really nice smile. Renly liked it. A lot.

"Uh, study?" he responded thoughtlessly, and Loras's smile curled up at the edge, gently mocking.

"Yes, study. For art history, that class we're in together." Renly didn't answer at first, a little taken aback.

"How would we study for art history?" Renly asked, head quirked to the side in honest curiosity. "I mean, isn't it just doing the reading?"

"You know, never mind," Loras scowled, just a little. Renly thought it was completely unfair that even Loras's scowl was attractive. "I'll leave you to do your reading."

"Wait," Renly said, "that sounded bad. You should stay. We could, I don't know, do the reading together?"

"Yeah, alright," Loras answered after a pause, sitting down across from Renly.

"But, actually," Renly smirked after almost a minute of quiet reading. "How do people study for _art history_? Like, trade flashcards with pictures of different paintings taped to them? Quiz each other on their favorite artists?"

Loras looked a little cross, which Renly thought was hugely unfair, considering how abrasive he usually was. If Renly wanted to be a bit of an asshole, he was pretty sure that it was his God given right.

"I don't know," Loras said, eyes sharp when they met Renly's. "Probably not by reading silently."

"Good thing we're not silent then," Renly laughed.

"Yeah," Loras said, and his face broke out in a smile that made Renly completely reevaluate his stance on dating assholes. "Good thing."

day five

Renly was directly in the middle of grilling Brienne about her upcoming date ("it's not a date!" she insisted, in that fiercely hushed tone of voice that said clearly how much she wished it was) with Jaime, her fencing teammate, when somebody sat down on his other side.

"And besides," Brienne scoffed, obviously lying through her teeth, "he's not my type, anyways."

"Don't be absurd," Renly said, too distracted by Loras's appearance at his side to call her bluff. "Jaime Lannister is everyone's type."

"I'd say," Loras hummed in agreement, beside Renly, giving Brienne a nod of acknowledgement.

"Loras," Renly greeted with a smirk.

"Hey, Renly," Loras returned, his smile as easy as they came.

"Hmm," Brienne murmured absently, and Renly turned to stare at her.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Brienne said, and turned to face the front of the lecture hall.

"What?" Renly persisted, knocking his shoulder into hers.

"Nothing, really," she smiled, ducking her head as if to hide it. "Loras," she said instead, turning to face the other blonde. "Are you ready for the tournament next week?"

"You fence?" Renly cut in, before Loras could answer. "You're on the fencing team?"

"Yeah," Loras nodded, still smiling. "Is that a problem?"

"No problems here," Renly said, "Not one."

"Good to know," Loras started, before he was cut off by the sound of Professor Pycelle clearing his throat for what sounded like a physically uncomfortable amount of time.

"Alright, class," Pycelle creaked, "Today we start in earnest, with the history of art itself."

He was quite possibly the worst teacher Renly had ever had, middle school geography included. Pycelle's drone was like a white noise machine, and all Renly wanted to do was crash on his desk and let the fifty minute lecture pass him by. It was three lessons in, and he was already regretting taking this class.

It was probably for the best that he didn't fall asleep, not this early in the semester, and class was done soon enough. Pycelle let them go with the promise of "unlocking the secrets of portraiture" the next week, and Renly couldn't escape the lecture hall soon enough. He and Brienne walked out together without Loras, who, Renly assumed, not without some jealously, was probably searching for that redheaded friend of his.

"He's on the fencing team?" Renly hissed. "Why didn't you tell me he was on the fencing team?"

Brienne shrugged, a quietly sly smile on her face. "I didn't realize you'd care. You said you weren't interested."

"Of course I don't care," Renly snapped, his hand gestures unnecessarily wild. "It's irrelevant to me. All I'm saying is we spent a good twenty minutes on Wednesday talking about this guy and it didn't occur to you to mention that he's your teammate?"

"Hmm," is all Brienne said again, and Renly thought that he should definitely invest in better friends. Robb and Theon sure as hell weren't any more useful on any day of the week.

"What?" he snapped.

"I think someone's trying to get your attention," was all she said.

Sure enough, Loras trotted up behind them, without that friend of his, waving in Renly's general direction. "Hey, Renly? Got a second?" he asked as he came up beside them.

"I've got a few."

"Listen," Loras said, as Brienne drifted off to the side and out of earshot. "I was wondering, would you want to go out sometime? Like, get coffee with me? Maybe?"

Renly blinked. Loras stared back, his smile determinedly not drooping. He didn't blink, staring fixedly at Renly and waiting for an answer.

"Yeah," Renly said, recovering from his surprise. "Yeah, I would."

"Great," Loras laughed, smiling so the skin by his eyes crinkled.

"I like coffee," Renly said.

"Coffee is good. Would coffee tomorrow be good?"

"Coffee tomorrow," Renly said, "would be excellent."

And all at once, Renly found himself definitely not regretting signing up for Intro to Themes in Western Art at all.

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a/n: feedback is 100% appreciated! I can't write a better story next time if you don't tell me what's working and what's not!


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